


We Got No Money, But We Got Heart

by jaegerbomb



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: ???? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, broke boys, eren paints, i guess this is fluff, jean does stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2018-01-21 02:51:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1534862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaegerbomb/pseuds/jaegerbomb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The letter comes on a Tuesday. Suddenly Jean is out of a job and Eren tries to figure out how to make ends meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Got No Money, But We Got Heart

**Author's Note:**

> so this is an experiment, basically. i haven't written anything in a loooooooong time so i'm pretty rusty. and this fic is probably just self-indulgent but whatever
> 
> i can't guarantee i'm going to continue this tbh hahaha let's just see how this goes

     The letter comes on a Tuesday.

     Eren is bouncing around the apartment, his attention between his bowl of soggy cornflakes and the easel set up in the living room. Jean walks out into the little corridor, heading for the kitchen, half - asleep in his boxer briefs.

     “Morning,” Eren calls out, words muffled by the spoon in his mouth, holding paintbrush in his hand. “How’d you sleep?” He sets the brush down blindly, eyes transfixed on the canvas in front of him. He tries to think of his next stroke. When he is met with silence, he forces himself to tear his eyes away from his unfinished painting.

     “Jean?”

     He finds Jean in the kitchen, staring blankly at a piece of paper in his hands. Eren walks up behind him, pressing a kiss to the nape of Jean’s neck softly. “What is it? Did we win anything?” Eren peers over his shoulder and attempts to read the print on the paper.

 

_Dear Mr. Kirstein…_

 

_…This is your manager…_

 

_…commend you for your handwork…_

 

_…we regret to inform you that…_

 

_…the company is going through changes…_

 

_… no choice but to let you go…_

 

     Eren pulls away abruptly. Jean turns around to face Eren, catching his eye. There is a smile on his face but Eren can see the trepidation in it. 

     “Morning, babe,” Jean forces the corner of his lip upward. It looks more like a grimace than a smile. “Didn’t see you there. Have you eaten?”

     Eren blinks once. “Yeah, cereal,” He says says distractedly, not expecting the question. “What’s with the letter?”

     “This?” Jean holds up the letter, Eren’s eyes trailing to the pristine white page in his hands. He nods. “Well, it is what it is. At least I don’t have to fetch coffee for those bastards any longer, right?” Jean lets out a little laugh and turns around, trying to look busy. He can’t face Eren like this.

     It’s silent for a few seconds before Eren decides that this should be dealt with immediately.

     “Jean…” Eren trails off softly, reaching out for him. Jean walks around their kitchen table before Eren can touch him. 

     “Yeah, babe?” Jean looks over his shoulder, unable to look Eren in the eye. He opens the door to the fridge, rummaging around. “I think I want an omelette.” He sets a couple of eggs on the counter next to him.

     “Jean, come on,” Eren moves closer, leaning on the table. “Don’t try to act like it’s nothing.”

     “W-We’re—“ Jean stops himself when his voice shakes. He breathes in slowly. “We’re out of bacon, babe.”

     “Stop it,” Eren says, with a little more force. Jean looks up sharply, looking Eren in the eye. He straightens his back, a carton of orange juice in his hand.

     “Stop what?” Jean asks, setting the juice next to the eggs. He reaches for a glass next to the sink. 

     “Whatever the hell you’re trying to do,” Eren walks up to Jean, trapping him between the counter and his body. “It’s not working.” 

     Jean sighs, returns the glass back to its place next to the sink. “Yeah, Eren, I just… Don’t want to think about it right now,” He presses their foreheads together, closing his eyes. Eren feels bad immediately. He’s never seen Jean like this.

     “Are you worried?” Eren murmurs, nudging his nose against Jean’s.

     Jean presses a kiss on Eren’s lips, “Worried? Nah,” Eren frowns.

     “You lying piece of shit,” A crease forms between Eren’s eyebrows. Jean laughs. Eren smiles. It was a genuine laugh.

     “My morning’s never complete without you cursing at me,” He kisses Eren again. 

     “Yeah, it’s amazing I never run out of reasons to cuss at you,” Eren purses his lips, feigning irritation. 

     “It’s not my fault you have a horrible temper,” Jean reasons.

     “Yeah, shut up, Kirstein.” 

     Jean is rendered silent. Eren’s lips form a tight line. He smiles at Eren, pulling him closer. “Don’t worry about it, babe,” He presses a kiss to Eren’s temple. “I’ll figure something out.” 

     “Yeah, yeah,” Eren shakes his head, making his way back towards the living room. 

     “You still hungry?” Jean calls out, grabbing a bowl to whisk the eggs in. 

     “No, I’m goo— Oh fuck!” 

     Jean freezes. “You okay?”

     “I accidentally put my brush in my cereal! And my fucking spoon is on my palette!” 

     Jean’s laugh echoes throughout the apartment.

 

 

     Later, when Eren is back in front of his easel, brows furrowed in concentration, Jean walks up behind him and wraps his arms around Eren’s waist. Eren picks up his palette, unfazed.

     Jean buries his nose in Eren’s hair, kisses it once, twice. “Looks like I’m out of a job,” He sighs, heart heavy with his realisation.

     “Yeah, you only noticed now?” Eren snorts, dipping his brush in a murky shade of green. 

     “Sorry, it’s just—“ Jean cuts himself short. He exhales slowly. “I put up with their bullshit and worked my ass off to just to get close to that stupid fucking promotion and it’s just. Gone. In the few seconds it took to print that letter, I lost my job.” 

     “Mm,” Eren hums, waiting for Jean to continue.

     “Well, it’s not like I mattered, anyway,” Jean moves closer, resting his head on Eren’s shoulder. “I mean, all I did was file documents and deliver coffee to whoever wanted it.”

     “That can’t be all you did,” Eren offered, making a bold stroke across his canvas. 

     “Actually, yeah, you’re right, I copied papers and on rare occasions, answered phone calls, too,” Jean rolls his eyes, bitter already.

     “Huh,” Eren muttered to himself, staring at the canvas before him. He collected himself quickly, remembering Jean’s predicament. “Don’t be like that, Jean.” 

     “Well, I’m just saying!” Jean’s pitch raises. “Maybe it’s a good thing I got fired. It was a dead end job anyway.”

     “Hm,” Eren hums again, not wanting to say anything.

     Jean sighs. “What do we do?” He murmurs, more to himself. “It’s not like we’re rolling around in money.” Eren turns around in his arms, looking Jean in the eye and finding worry in it. 

     “We’ve still got our savings,” Eren offers, and Jean nods slowly. “That should be enough to tide us over while you’re looking for a new job.”

     Jean nods again. “Okay,” He says.

     “And I can pick up some more shifts at the cafe,” Eren says. Jean blinks twice, processing what Eren said. He frowns slightly. Asking Eren to put in more hours at his part-time job was something he thought he’d never have to do.

     “Okay,” Jean says, swallowing his saliva. “That sounds okay.”

     “Yeah?” Eren smiles tentatively. “So let’s not worry about it right now.”

     “Yeah, you’re right,” Jean smiles back at him. “We’ll figure something out.” 

**Author's Note:**

> i'll probably delete this in a few days tbh, bye


End file.
